Paul O’Grady was an English comedian, broadcaster, drag queen, actor and writer.
He was born on June 14, 1955, in Tranmere, Cheshire, England, and died on March 28, 2023, in Aldington, Kent, England, at the age of 67.
O’Grady achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag persona Lily Savage, through which he gained wider popularity in the 1990s.
Paul O’Grady early life
O’Grady spent most of his childhood in the family’s rented home at 23 Holly Grove in Higher Tranmere.
He later said that he had no bad memories of his childhood and that his family was loving and full of affection.
O’Grady attended St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, where he excelled in all subjects except mathematics.
After leaving school at 16, he worked for the Department of Health and Social Security in Liverpool.
O’Grady then went on to a string of jobs, including hotel skivvy, office worker at an abattoir, and clerk at a magistrates court.
While working as a court clerk, he had an affair with a colleague, Diane Jansen, who became pregnant with their daughter, Sharyn.
In 1977, O’Grady married Teresa Fernandes, a Portuguese woman, in order to prevent her deportation from the UK.
The couple divorced in 2005.
O’Grady attended St Anselm’s Christian Brothers School after his graduation from which he worked as a clerk in a magistrate’s court.
During that time, he met a woman named Diane Jansen with whom he had a brief affair; their daughter, Sharyn, was born in 1974.
However, O’Grady felt that he was too young to be a father and decided to travel to Europe where he worked (among other occupations) as a waiter in a brothel in Manila.
He returned to England in the 1980s and, in 1985, debuted his drag character, Lily Savage, in the gay bars and clubs throughout London.
The character became extremely popular and afforded Paul his own television show, Live from the Lilydrome (1995), which debuted in 1995.
In 2000, O’Grady retired the character of Lily Savage and began appearing on television solely as Paul O’Grady.
In 2002, he suffered a heart attack in his London flat.
O’Grady later moved to a farm near Kent, England, where he owned cows, pigs, goats, chickens and sheep.
He was well known for his love of animals, and his Irish uncle taught him to milk a cow in Ireland, a skill that came in handy later in life.
Paul O’Grady cause of death
O’Grady’s cause of death has been confirmed as sudden cardiac arrhythmia, according to his death certificate.
This was linked to his coronary heart disease, which happens when arteries are narrowed, and less blood and oxygen can reach the heart muscle.
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is when someone dies suddenly following a cardiac arrest and no obvious cause can be found.
A cardiac arrest is when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body, which stops you breathing and starves your brain of oxygen.
It affects around 500 people in the UK every year.
O’Grady had several health issues over the years, including several heart attacks and a serious COVID-19 infection.
Paul O’Grady career
O’Grady’s career spanned several decades and encompassed a variety of mediums and disciplines.
He was born on June 14, 1955, in Birkenhead, England, and attended St Anselm’s Christian Brothers School.
After his graduation, O’Grady worked as a clerk in a magistrate’s court.
In the 1980s, O’Grady made a name for himself on the London gay scene as a stand-up comedian and drag artist.
In 1985, he debuted his drag character, Lily Savage, in the gay bars and clubs throughout London.
The character became extremely popular and afforded Paul his own television show, Live from the Lilydrome (1995), which debuted in 1995.
Throughout his career, O’Grady hosted several television shows, including The Paul O’Grady Show, Paul O’Grady Live and For the Love of Dogs.
He also appeared in several films and television series, including Doctor Who and Holby City.
In addition to his work in entertainment, O’Grady was also an animal rights activist and supporter of various charities.
